Narutosensei
by ImmortalSephiroth
Summary: AU Naruto becomes a sensei to a squad...only trouble is he's the same age as his students!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: All copyrights are held by Masashi Kishimoto and other rightsholders.

Credit – The idea for this story started when I replied to shyguysteve on the Kametsu Forums. Thanks!

_Prologue_

IT was dark and cold. A stiff breeze blew through the trees, chilling the small group. On the ground, lay two bodies.

The first was of a short elderly man, with a helmet and wearing black armour. Close to his left hand lay a long black staff.

The other body was also dressed in black armour. However, what was striking about his appearance was his mask. A full face mask, orange in colour, with a flame motif. There was a gap in his mask, from where a piece had fallen off during the short but brutal fight.

One of the group bent down to the old man and, with a gloved hand, gently closed his eyes. He caressed a cheek for a moment then slowly stood back up. His golden hair was ruffled by the breeze. Shivering, he looked up at the sky.

"Not a cloud in the sky", he whispered. "Day like this...should be a storm. Rain, hail". He heard something, looked over at the sole woman in their group.

She was crying, partially. A few tears slid down her expressionless face and she sniffed for a moment. A delicate hand reached up to her face. She wasn't surprised: the only person allowed to touch her person was her life-long team-mate, the red haired man to her right. He gently wiped away the tears, then fished around in his pockets for a tissue. The woman smiled one of her famous barely visible smiles. After wiping away the rest of her tears, she allowed the man to wrap his arm around her and pull her close.

Another man stepped close, his orange hair clashing with the woman's blue. He put one hand on each of his friends' shoulders.

"He won't be forgotten, Konan, Nagato. He will be remembered. Right, Minato-kohai?"

The blonde man nodded. Like the other three, he had great respect for the old man.

"Sarutobi-sama will be remembered. But...why did he do it? Why use _that _jutsu?" He half-whispered the question. He didn't really expect a response, but the red-haired man, Nagato, let go of the woman, Konan, and stepped up to him, gripping him hard on the shoulder. He looked Minato in the eye.

"You already know the answer, Minato-kun. I won't bother explaining it, it would just be wasted breath".

Minato nodded. That was how the older man operated and lived, only doing that which was necessary. He answered questions only when the answer wasn't obvious and an explanation was surely needed.

Soft footsteps were heard, and the four of them immediately had weapons to hand. Origami birds flew about Konan's head; Yahiko reached behind him and gripped his katana; Nagato blinked and his usual grey eyes were now a light purple, with a ripple like pattern. He needed no weapon, as did Minato: for they were weapons themselves.

The footsteps stopped a few feet from the group. Their owner revealed himself as a young man wearing grey armour. A porcelain animal mask hung to the right side of his face, and a bloodied katana was held in his hands.

The young man was immediately hugged by Konan, who ran to him and held him close. Tears fell down her face, having started again once she had caught sight of his weapon.

"Oh, Itachi-chan! I'm so sorry! I...we all are!" She continued crying.

After a hesitant moment, Itachi slowly returned the hug and clung to the woman. He breathed in deeply, inhaling her scent.

A few minutes passed, then Nagato coughed. He clearly did not want to break the two of them up, but he needed to know.

"ANBU! Report your mission!"

The words had the desired effect. Itachi immediately let go of the woman, who had by then stopped crying. He stepped away from, walked to his red-haired superior and saluted.

"ANBU Boar reporting, sir. Mission complete: the...targets are dead". He said it simply, and but for the small hesitation, without emotion.

The simple report had a drastic but subtle effect on the group of older ninja. Konan's eyes widened, almost threatening to leak tears again, but didn't. Yahiko cursed and walked away a few steps, muttering some choice swears under his breath. Nagato frowned, but he wasn't surprised. Minato breathed in deep, looking around for a tree. He desperately wanted to destroy something right now.

Nagato spoke up.

"We can't decide anything right now. We must consult with Homura-sama and Koharu-sama. Konan, wrap the bodies and take them with us". Paper immediately flew around the bodies, until they were completely wrapped up. The blue haired woman made a gesture with her hand, and the bodies rose up, as if lying on a flat surface. The group then walked smartly back to the village.

_Three days later..._

Minato stood quietly, in front of a large stone. In his hands were a hammer and chisel, and newly written on the stone was 蒜山 サルトビ. In the old tongue, it was written as "Hiruzen Sarutobi".

Only two other names on that list meant as much to him, but today wasn't their day. They had died long ago and he had mourned for them.

He turned around, and was surprised to see Nagato there.

"I must be losing my touch, Nagato-san. I never heard you coming".

The older man nodded, fingering something in his hands. His actions drew Minato's gaze, whose eyes widened. He dropped his tools.

"I thought for sure Yahiko-sempai...He is well liked by the people".

Nagato gave a quick laugh and a small ironic grin. In a different context, what had just happened would have made him happy. But, now...

"Well liked isn't the same as respected, Minato-kohai. Yahiko is a charmer, but my actions during the last war garnered me much respect. If we weren't around, you surely would have been chosen, but experience and ability do count, and in the end, that left only me".

Minato swallowed. Since a young age, he had chased his dream, but now, his path was blocked. Still, his life belonged to the village, and he wouldn't harbour any ill-will. He saluted and looked back down.

In Nagato's hands was a tri-corner hat.


	2. Chapter 1

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the occupant of the bed in a radiant glow. The blankets ruffled and moved constantly, the sleeper tossing and turning.

Eventually, he opened his eyes. His blue orbs blinked once, twice, then finally opened. He slowly sat up, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes, and yawned.

He stumbled out of bed, taking a few minutes to wake up. He walked slowly over to one wall, which had a giant calender on it. Marked in a box were the words "Genin Team Selection!"

Upon seeing this, he grinned, now fully awake. Today was the day he got to pass on what he had learned. Today was the day he became a sensei!

An hour later, after getting washed and dressed, the young boy ran downstairs. He almost ran face first into the wall, but his quick reflexes saved him at the last moment. He ran into the kitchen, where he saw his father finishing up cooking breakfast.

"Morning, son!" beamed the father. He too wore the standard Chuunin flak jacket, like his son, but his showed more wear and tear.

"Morning, dad!" the boy responded. He sat down at the table and waited. A moment later, his dad put a plate in front of him, eggs and bacon.

"Eat up, Naruto! You'll need it for today!" He poured some orange juice into a glass and put it beside the plate.

Naruto dug in straight away, while his father ate at a more restrained pace.

Naruto stopped after a few minutes, looking at his dad. "Hey dad? What's got you down?"

Minato blinked in surprise. He smiled in embarrassment.

"Just worried about you, son. I'd always thought that this day would be a few years in the future. But at age twelve..." He trailed off.

Naruto frowned.

"But dad, we already talked about this. Besides, as a sensei, I won't be doing anything dangerous for a while yet. That was what we agreed on".

Minato nodded. For the past few months, he and Naruto had been discussing his impending promotion to Jonin. It was a foregone conclusion that the Yondaime Hokage would promote him, especially after tearing through the exams. However, while Minato did want to see his son succeed, and hopefully surpass him, at the same time, he worried about him.

"Son...I won't be so glum. If! You promise to teach your students well!"

Naruto jumped from his seat. He fiddled with his headband for a moment, then grinned.

"Yes sir!"

Half an hour later, Naruto was walking happily along to the Academy. He passed by shops and other businesses, waving to all the people. They waved back.

Minato was a few steps behind him. A slight sigh escaped him, as he wished for his wife to have been there. She would have been so proud.

Eventually, the two of them found themselves in a large room at the Academy. Lounging around or standing against the wall were other shinobi, ranging in age from late teens to early forties.

Naruto was the youngest person there, an achievement he was quite proud of. He look around and against a wall was a silver haired man wearing a mask that covered up the lower half of his face. He appeared to be intently reading a small orange book.

Naruto grinned. He held out his right hand, and a spiralling sphere of chakra formed. He ran as fast as he could at the man, aiming for the book.

However, to his chagrin, he found himself in a headlock. The man had somehow gotten behind him and wrapped his left arm around the young boy's neck. His right hand held a kunai dangerously close to his neck.

"And that, Naruto, is why I'm a full Jonin, while you are only a Tokubetsu. I'm afraid you've still got a long way to go before you're able to damage my precious Icha Icha".

He let go of the young lad and resumed his position against the wall. He looked up to see Naruto's father shaking his head in exasperation.

"Yo, sensei! How's it going?" He walked over and started talking quietly with his former mentor.

Naruto shook his head in annoyance. For years, he had been trying to get that book away from the older man, but had failed every time. He frowned, remembering what Kakashi had said. _Tokubetsu_. He knew that he had the skills of a full Jonin, but the argument he had had with his father a few days before had resulted in this lower rank.

'_That's right. Dad did say that a full Jonin needs more than skill or talent. He needs to know what's what, what to do. Basically, I need experience, which I don't have. Heh! Two years as a Genin under Dad and then another two as a __Chuunin. Before I can be Jonin, I have to be Tokubetsu Jonin...it still hurts though! Dad was never a Tokubetsu, went straight from Chuunin to Jonin. Yeah, he'd been a Chuunin for five years, but still! Ah, cut the whining Naruto, the Hokage's here!'_

All the shinobi present in the room stood straight as a single man walked in. He was about five and a half foot and dressed in all white robes. On his head was the famous tri-corner hat of the Kage.

Naruto knew him well. Nagato Uzumaki, from the same now extinct clan as his mother, the two had shared a close relationship. However, ever since Naruto had graduated from the Academy and become a raw Genin, he'd started seeing less and less of the man. Both simply had careers that ate up too much of their time. He fervently hoped that he could fix that over the next few months, with all the D-rank missions he would put his team through.

The Hokage cleared his throat.

"Good morning, everyone. Well, it looks like a good day for Konoha. We have forty-two graduates, meaning that for the first time in seven years, we have a full fourteen teams ready to be sent into the field. Returning as Jonin-sensei will be Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Minato Namikaze and Yahiko". At this, the named men nodded. All of them had trained teams before and thus, today was nothing new to them.

The other eleven people, Naruto included, stood still in expectation. They were Konoha's elite, but to pass on their skills to the next generation...this would be a different challenge altogether. Naruto especially was under higher pressure than the others, due to his age. Upon his promotion to Tokubetsu, he had learned that in the entire history of Konoha, there had never been a twelve year old sensei. Initially, the Yondaime Hokage had been resistant to the idea. It was bad enough that the world forced pre-teens to learn advanced combat and survival techniques, but Konoha had been at peace for years. Unlike during the last great war, there was no longer a need for a fast supply of ninja.

Naruto tuned back in to what the Hokage was saying. He snapped his fingers and an ANBU appeared beside him, his arms full of scrolls.

"As I call your name, please accept your scroll. It will contain the names of your students. I have gone through the graduates and joined them with the sensei I think will suit them best".

At this, the shinobi started talking amongst themselves. Every year, there was always a few young ones who merited discussion amongst the higher ups. Most of the Jonin present had heard fine things about a couple of clan heirs and wanted to teach them.

Naruto didn't really care who he taught, beyond one. He felt confident in his abilities. He'd had a well rounded education from his father, and then later from others, so there wouldn't be gaps in what he himself would teach.

"Yahiko", said the Hokage, handing him a scroll. The older orange haired man accepted his scroll, unwound it and grinned a bloodthirsty smile to himself.

"Naruto Namikaze". Naruto grinned and grabbed his scroll, muttering a "Thank you" to the Hokage and quickly read his scroll.

_TEAM NARUTO_

_Squad 14_

_Sensei: Naruto Namikaze (Tokubetsu Jonin)_

_Genin: Kiba Inuzuka _

_Hinata Hyuuga_

_Sakura Haruno_

Naruto nodded to himself. He had gotten his wish: he had been friends with Hinata for years and upon her joining the Academy, had promised that he would do whatever it took to become her sensei. He didn't know the other two, although Kiba he could see was from one of the minor ninja clans. The other girl's family was a complete unknown: perhaps a first timer?

Naruto pocketed the scroll and walked out of the room. He would see his dad at the end of the day, and swap stories. He was a bit jealous though: whoever had gotten his dad was sure to become powerful. He only needed to look at Kakashi to see what his dad was capable of.

He stopped outside a classroom, suddenly aware that he was the only one in the corridor. It looked like the other Jonin would be collecting their students later.

He raised his fist to knock but stopped when the door opened. Out stepped a beautiful blue haired woman wearing a kimono. She too stopped in her tracks and was surprised to see the young boy. She hastily shut the door behind her.

"Congratulations Naruto-chan! I always knew you were capable of getting this far! Want any words of advice from your aunt?"

Naruto pulled a face. He hated it when Auntie Konan called him -chan. He wasn't a little boy anymore! He was an elite warrior of the Hidden Leaf, one to be respected! However, he didn't voice any of this.

"No thanks, Auntie Konan. I know I can do this. Ummm... do you mind if I observe them for a little while? I want to get a sense of how they think".

Konan nodded, not really that surprised at the forethought. She herself had done just the same, sneaked into the classroom and spied on her prospective students, oh so long ago.

She watched as Naruto formed handseals, almost a blur. She felt his chakra spike and suddenly, he was invisible. A high level Genjutsu, it was unique amongst others of the same rank in that it required little actual skill, but instead called for a monstrous supply of chakra. Naruto's chakra control had indeed been sloppy during his Genin days, skirting close to dangerous even, but Konan had taken him off his father's hands for a few weeks and tutored him in Genjutsu. That had helped in his chakra control.

Naruto walked inside and watched as the youngsters just sat around talking to each other. A few here and there could be seen reading, writing or just plain waiting. Of his students, he caught side of the Inuzuka first. It wasn't hard to miss the young puppy that sat on his head, who suddenly started growling and barking cutely to his master, who listened and then looked straight at Naruto.

Naruto wasn't surprised. His Genjutsu only affected sight, and the Inuzuka were famous for their advanced sense of smell. The Inuzuka didn't look to be getting ready to do anything.

'_Huh. His family must have told him about what some __Jonin like to do. Come into the class and get a read on them.'_

A quick glance around the room and he spotted his childhood friend. Hinata, the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, sat next to a couple of other students but wasn't interacting with them.

'_Well, she always was a bit shy. Good thing she's not a total wallflower'._

Naruto strode to the teacher's desk and stood in front of it. He waited a few more moments but the chatter from the class continued unabated. It looked like that apart from the Inuzuka, no-one else knew they were being watched.

He cancelled the illusion and revealed himself. It took a few seconds for the chatter to die down, for the students to look to the front of the class and notice someone there.

Naruto grinned and held out his hand, holding the scroll.

"Squad 14! Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga and Sakura Haruno! Report to the roof!" With that, he walked away, or at least seemed to. Instead, he created a Kage Bunshin, which jumped out the open window, and reactivated his Genjutsu. He wanted to see how the class would react.

Upon hearing their names, the three had automatically stood up. However, only Hinata actually made a move to leave the class. Everyone else just stayed there amazed.

The other girl, who had pink hair and was wearing a scarlet mandarin gown, just frowned.

"That can't be our sensei! He's the same age as us!" Kiba then started moving towards the door.

"Lay off it, Sakura. He must be. Why else would he be here? He was watching us for a while, which is what my mom told me some Jonin do. 'Sides, what's the worst that could happen. If our real sensei turns up, and we're not here, we can just say we were following orders"

This left Sakura standing on her own, as she watched Kiba and Hinata leave the room. She struggled internally and turned to a blonde girl who was still sitting at her desk.

"Well, Ino-pig, looks I'm the first on a team. Ha!" With that she took off at speed.

Up on the roof, Naruto waited. He had jumped out the window for real after seeing Sakura leave. Just a few moments later, the roof doors opened and out walked Hinata, followed closely by the other two. He gestured for the trio to sit, which they did.

"Well, good morning! I'm Naruto Namikaze, and I'm your new sensei! From here on out, we're Squad 14".

At this, Sakura interrupted.

"Um...are you really our sensei? We're the same age!"

Naruto nodded.

"I am. The Genjutsu I used in the classroom should have been proof enough. Something that high level is usually only used by Jonin. I'll say this now to get it out of the way: if you feel that you don't belong on the team, you are free to request a transfer from the Hokage. He will grant it, unless there's an important reason not to. Also, I have to admit something". He reached behind him and rubbed his head in embarrassment.

"I'm not a full Jonin. I'm Tokubetsu. However, don't start thinking that I'm a pushover. I've sparred against some of the best in the village and even against the Hokage a few times and most of the time, I've won. Just ask Hinata"

At this, Hinata blushed and nodded when the other two looked her way. She swallowed.

"You both know my father is head of the Hyuuga clan. Naruto-kun sparred against Father just last week and won...although it took a while".

Sakura blinked in amazement. A few months back, she had seen an Advanced Taijutsu class where Hinata's father was giving a demonstration of his clan's famous speciality, the Gentle Fist. He had been fast and graceful, never once coming close to being hit by any of the students. She found it hard to believe that a kid could beat a seasoned veteran, but Hinata never lied.

"Right, team! We'll get to know each other. Okay, you with the dog! You're up first. Tell us your name, and a bit about yourself".

The boy stood up excitedly, the dog not slipping from his hand.

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this here is my buddy, Akamaru. We're partners through thick and thin, and I can't wait to go out on missions. Uh, let's see...I specialize in clan ninjutsu and taijutsu. I don't know any genjutsu, at least not yet. I suppose you know some, sensei?"

Naruto nodded. "I do, but not many. I'm a ninjutsu powerhouse, and I do have a mean punch, but genjutsu has never been one of my strong points. When you're ready, you can go to someone else for genjutsu. But that's not today! Okay, Hina-chan. We already know each other, but do it anyway".

At this, Sakura and Kiba were surprised. How come their classmate knew such a prodigy and they didn't?

"Umm...my name is Hinata Hyuuga. I'm from the Hyuuga clan and we use the Gentle Fist, a form of taijutsu. I know a few genjutsu and ninjutsu already. I like pressing flowers and hope one day to join the medical corps". At this, it appeared she had said enough and quickly sat back down.

"Good, good", Naruto nodded in approval. "Medical corps is still away off for you, Hina-chan. The head of the corps is some guy I've never met, I think his name is Kabuto". Naruto scrunched his forehead in thought. "He only accepts those of Chuunin rank or above, I've heard. Right, so that's two down. Okay, Pinky, your turn!"

Sakura scowled. She hated being called names, but didn't do anything. It would make her look bad to be seen beating up a superior officer.

"I'm Sakura Haruno, and I'm the first in my family to become a kunoichi. I like studying and was the best in the class at genjutsu. Uhhh...I don't know yet what I want to do. I think I'll teach maybe in the future?" She sat back down.

"Okay, good. We all know each other now. We've got a taijutsu specialist, a clan ninjutsu user and someone who probably knows more about genjutsu than I do. I'll have something to teach all of you. With any luck, you'll be Chuunin in no time. Right, any questions?"

Sakura's hand shot into the air.

"How did you get to be a sensei at our age?"

Naruto leaned back.

"The Academy doesn't usually allow you to graduate until you're at least ten or eleven. But, the Hokage allows someone younger to in special cases. I graduated when I was eight, mainly because my dad had been teaching me since I was five and there was no real point to keeping me in the Academy. So, I became a Genin, was made Chuunin when I was ten, and then became Tokubetsu Jonin just a few days ago. Anything else?"

Kiba stuck his hand up this time.

"Yeah, my buddy Akamaru says you don't smell like regular people. Why is that?"

Naruto's smile slipped. He had been afraid of this. He had only one real response to give.

"Sorry, Kiba, but the answer is classified. Only Chuunin and above are briefed on that. However, I am allowed to tell you, but only if I think its necessary. Right, no more questions? Good". At this, Naruto straightened.

"I hereby officially dub us Squad 14. We will become the Leaf's best team, we'll go down in history!" He shot his arm up and looked at them. After a moment, the three stood up and copied him. As one, the four of them then shouted

"SQUAD 14!"


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: For those of you who are a bit confused about the story, the premise is that I chose one fact about the Naruto canon's history, and changed it.

_The seven ninja leapt through the trees at high speeds. None are uninjured, but they ignore their wounds: they are Leaf. They run in two lines of three people each, with their leader taking point. The leader raises a fist then points at a spot some distance ahead. A moment later and all seven land in a small clearing, some sitting, others kneeling, all catching their breath._

_The leader was the tallest among them. He had white shaggy hair and his forehead protector resembled a face guard. He was outfitted in blue armour. He looked at his team, who were arrayed in a line in front of him._

_On the left was Torifu Akimichi, the younger brother of the Akimichi clan leader. He was rotund, like his clansmen, and was wearing a hat with pointed ears, upon which was affixed his forehead protector. _

_Next to him was Danzo Shimura. A young man with scraggy hair with locks below eye level. He had a shifty suspicious look, always glancing this way and that, always watchful. He had a unique X-shaped scar on his chin, received from a Rock nin's Raiton Jutsu._

_After Danzo was Kagami Uchiha, a newly promoted Jonin and grandson of the late and famed clan hero, Izuna Uchiha. Kagami had short, black, untidy hair and had a small tanto tied at his belt. His Sharingan was activated, the three tomoe visible, as he kept a close watch on their surroundings. _

_On Kagami's left was Tobirama's star pupil, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although young, he had already made a name for himself, and was rumoured to be the most skilled shinobi in the world. He had an impish look to his face, brown eyes and brown hair, in a style reminiscent of his friend, Danzo. The young shinobi kept a tight grip on a long black staff, as tall as he was. His eyes radiated pure confidence, fixated on the Second Hokage. _

_On the other side of Hiruzen was Koharu Utatane, one of his squad-mates from their Genin days under the tutelage of the Second Hokage. She was a beauty with dark eyes and had her hair pulled back in a twin bun locked by a traditional hair pin with two pearls dangling off the side. She had her hands ready in a seal, prepared at any moment to cast one of her famous genjutsu. _

_Lastly, was Tobirama's third pupil, Homura Mitokado. He had a strong jawline and was sporting both glasses and his famous frown. Although a willing and able pupil of the Second Hokage, his ideals deviated from that of his sensei. He believed in harsh measures and was always willing to retaliate against a foe. Indeed, he was whispering furiously to his master._

"_Sensei, we can take them! Yes, they outnumber us, but they will be expecting us to be fleeing back to the village! They won't be expecting a counter-attack!"_

_Tobirama looked his pupil in the eye. It seemed that Homura was growing more and more hungry for vengeance with each passing mission._

"_Homura, we dare not. The seven of us are the strongest ninja the Leaf has yet seen, but in such a small group, we represent easy pickings for a larger force. Not only that, but our pursuers are led by Kinkaku, who almost killed me once before, in case you have forgotten"._

_At this, the six ninja before him almost started trembling with rage. Several years before, just prior to the start of the war, Tobirama had attempted to enter into an alliance with the Second Raikage. However, the Raikage's two bodyguards, the brothers Kinkaku and Ginkaku, had attempted to assassinate the Hokage. Only a timely rescue by Hiruzen, commanding a small army of Uchiha and Senju warriors, had saved his life. The Raikage had fled, disgraced, launching an offensive against the Leaf days later. _

_Kagami turned to Homura, his words clipped and precise. "We will obey Hokage-sama. Our duty compels us to be where we are needed most. Fighting the Kinkaku Force is too risky: better that we regroup at the village"._

_Homura's frown deepened, and he closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them. _

"_Very well, then. We will flee then. Sensei, how far away are they?"_

_At this, Tobirama kneeled down, and put his index finger into the ground. He concentrated his chakra and listened. After a moment, he looked back up at his team._

"_Ten minutes away at the most. Far too close. There is only one option. One of us must act as a decoy, to delay the enemy while the rest escape"._

_At this, the group had a collective intake of breath. They shared the same thought, '_It will be me'. _However, Tobirama stood and walked past the group. He looked over his shoulder._

"_I will be the sacrifice. A true leader cannot ask of his men what he himself is unwilling to -" He never finished his sentence, as a furious Danzo had jumped in front of him, punching him hard in the stomach and again on the head, knocking the Leaf leader unconscious. _

_The others hesitated only a moment. Hiruzen was the first to recover, throwing a warning shuriken past Danzo's ear. _

"_What are you doing, Danzo? By our friendship, I will give you one chance to explain yourself, or I'll kill you where you stand!"_

_Danzo felt fear at that moment, but he squashed it and locked gazes at his friend. He carried the Hokage over to Torifu and handed him over, who accepted the burden without a word._

"_The Hokage is wrong, Hiruzen. We cannot risk losing our leader! Especially not in the middle of a war! Only Tobirama has the vision and experience necessary to lead us to victory. If he sacrifices himself now, one of us would have to succeed him, and such an event now of all times, could cause disarray in the Leaf forces. I...I would do anything for the Leaf, Hiruzen...I can't let our Hokage throw his life away needlessly!"_

_Danzo then jumped to the top of a tree. He looked back down at the group._

"_I'll delay the Kumo ninja. Get out of here!" At this, the rest of the team ran, save for Hiruzen. He stood there, then called up to the young man._

"_Danzo! Let me do it! I couldn't bear it if you died!" Danzo smiled and laughed, a grin without humour._

"_You always were one step ahead of me, Hiruzen. Always reaching the mark before me. Being selected to train under the First, learning from the Second...Genin, Chuunin, Jonin...being called the God of Shinobi. However, now I have the chance to outstrip you! I can do what you couldn't. I can save the Second and this team! For once, my friend, you lost to me"._

_Hiruzen stood there. He had nothing to say._

"_Hiruzen, there's nothing more to say or do. I'll stop the Kumo ninja. Now go!" Hiruzen nodded slowly, then started leaping away._

_After taking one last look around, Danzo determined that he was alone. He placed his hands in the ram hand seal and summoned up Kage Bunshin. Each one then disguised itself as a member of the team. Danzo breathed heavily. The sudden loss of chakra, coupled with the lack of rest and food over the past two days, was a shock to his system. His vision blurred, but he swallowed and gritted his teeth. After a moment, he started leaping from tree to tree, placing paper seals on them. _

_After several minutes, he leapt down to the ground and hid himself in a bush. He poked his finger into the ground. While nowhere near as skilled as the Hokage, he was sensitive to around a hundred meters away. He jumped up, avoiding a barrage of shuriken. He let fly a kunai, and grinned to himself as he heard a grunt of pain. _

_Danzo jumped behind a large tree and signalled. His Bunshin copy of the Hokage jumped out, weaving hand seals. At the same time, Danzo cast a genjutsu, conjuring an illusionary wall of water. He hoped that the presence of the mightiest water wielder in the world would give his enemies pause. _

_He was rewarded for his efforts, as the small noises signifying the enemy's leaping around ceased for a moment. He took from his pouch a handful of shuriken and threw them at where the enemy was last heard. _

_A while later..._

_Danzo leapt behind a tree, a few miles from where his ambush began. His left arm hung useless at his side, a deep gash running along its length. Blood poured from a wound above his right eye and he felt poison coursing through his body. One of the Kumo had gotten lucky with a shuriken coated in a rare venom. _

_Danzo knew he didn't have much time left. He was skilled, true, but mostly lucky during this battle. He estimated about forty ninja had begun this pursuit. Seven of them were dead, a good number, if he had to say so himself._

_A shift in the air, and he jumped. He appeared behind an unlucky Kumo ninja, stabbing him in the neck with the one kunai he had left. Eight! _

"_Truly, I can stand equal to my father and grandfather" he whispered to himself. _

"_Yes, you can. Only, how can you call yourself equal if you're alive and they're dead?" a voice sneered from behind him. _

_Danzo felt the katana press against his back then slide agonizingly slowly through his body. After a moment, it came out through his front, dripping his life's blood. He vomited blood, collapsing. He looked behind him. What he saw terrified him. A tall, heavily muscled man, with long golden hair with dark tips. Jutting out from his hair could be seen two horns, connected to a helmet upon which was attached his forehead protector. _

"_Kinkaku...you bastard..." croaked the dying Leaf shinobi. The Kumo ninja leaned closer, putting his mouth close to Danzo's ear._

"_So, you're a Shimura. The smallest ninja clan in the world, a scion of the Uchiha clan. I never thought I'd get the chance to meet another one"._

_Danzo's eyes widened. "Another...?" _

_Kinkaku scratched his chin in thought. "In all my time, I've met only two other Shimura. Well, met isn't the right word. How about brutally beaten and slaughtered? I never did get their names, but...they did look like you. An old man and one about my age"._

_Danzo spat. A hock of blood and spit landed on Kinkaku's knee. "My father...grandfather...Leaf shinobi...died to save their...comrades" Flashes of memory appeared before Danzo's eyes. His family, his friends, finally landing on the cheeky grin of a brown haired boy, walking in between two men, one white haired, the other with long flowing black hair and wearing a white and red tri-corner hat. _

"_Hiruzen...I do this for you...my friend". Kinkaku moved to jump away but was too late. Danzo had already finished weaving the seals one handed. Black bars appeared on his body. He whispered "Reverse...Four Symbols...Sealing Technique!". The black bars jumped off his body and encompassed the area in a black sphere about ten meters in diameter. After a moment, Kinkaku could feel his body being drawn towards Danzo. He tried to fight it, his feet scraping the ground, but was helpless. _

_Seconds later, a dull thump could be heard. Birds jumped from the trees, taking flight. And dust settled, revealing only a young man, slumped over on the ground, a smile on his face. _


	4. Chapter 3

Naruto jumped silently into a clump of bushes and peered out. Out in the flat grassy area stood his three Genin. Sakura was standing against one of the three wooden posts, her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Kiba was kneeling down on the ground, rubbing his young puppy's belly, while Hinata watched, a small grin lighting up her face.

Naruto had told his students to be at this training field at 7am sharp, and it looked like all three had followed his orders. He nodded to himself, then cast a Shunshin, sitting cross-legged on top of the middle post. He waited a moment, but it looked like he had arrived completely unnoticed.

"Morning!" he yelled, as loud as he could. The three Genin jumped and quickly turned around. Sakura was so surprised that she fell to the ground as she attempted to turn around. This caused Naruto to start laughing, stopping a moment later when he saw the beginnings of rage on Sakura's face.

"Right, now that should have woken you all the way up. Good morning, Squad 14! So, is anybody ready for today's test?" he asked, with a big grin on his face.

The Genin took a moment to answer. They looked at one another, confusion written on their faces.

"Ano...Naruto-sensei? A test?" Hinata asked, her index fingers pressing into each other.

"Yeah, your Genin test". He looked up at the sky as Kiba exploded, Akamaru barking in tandem with his master.

"But...we already had the Genin graduation exam! What's this about?"

Naruto only continued to smile, and waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Oh, that was nothing. That was just to see if you had the skills of a Genin, which of course you all passed. This is something different. This is to see whether you have the right mind-set to be a Leaf ninja. After all, anybody can learn to cast a Bunshin. But not everybody is entrusted with the defence of the village. However..." at this he paused, then looked them in the eye one by one.

"Fail this test and you go back to the Academy. Fail it bad enough...and I'll recommend to the Hokage you be stripped of ninja status. Don't think that's an empty threat: my dad's student, Kakashi Hatake, is one of the strictest sensei in the village and he did just that for every member of the first two teams he got".

Kiba had his arms down low, hands unclenched, claws and fangs extended. He clearly didn't lack confidence.

Sakura nodded, her eyes full of fire. However, Naruto was quick enough to catch a small measure of doubt.

Hinata stared at the ground for a moment, obviously worried. She looked back up when she heard her name being called.

"Hina-chan...believe in yourself. I know you can do it!" Naruto gave her a thumbs up, but lost his smile when he heard Sakura. She had crossed her arms and was again frowning.

"Well of course you're going to pass your friend!"

At this, Naruto jumped down, and sighed. He looked at them one by one again.

"Understand this, I am entrusted with the security of the Leaf village. The Hokage himself believes in me, believes that I have the judgement necessary to recommend who continues on and who doesn't. If I honestly believe that you don't belong in the ninja corps, I will remove you. Sorry Hina-chan, but you know me. It's the honest truth and it's how I live my life. However...Sakura...you will not talk back to your superior with such disrespect!" He frowned now, almost daring her to start again. She did.

"Respect? What respect? Just why the hell are you our sensei? Were you some throwaway ninja?"

Naruto closed his eyes and when he opened them again, Sakura stopped. She honestly felt like she was about to die. It was like pressure, like the air around her was pushing on-top of her. She struggled to speak, but no sound came out. After a moment, Naruto disappeared. Sakura felt a brief pain and then blacked out for a moment.

When Sakura opened her eyes, she found herself on the ground. She quickly glanced to her team-mates, startled to see that they too were pinned by a Naruto holding a kunai to their neck. She almost jumped when she heard Naruto speak but managed to stop herself barely in time. That kunai was dangerously close!

"I am not weak. I am not a throwaway. I have proven myself to the Hokage and now I have proven my skills to you. In just a few seconds, I was able to incapacitate and disarm all three of you. I am your sensei and you will learn from me". The two Kage Bunshin he had created poofed away and he stood back up. He held out his hand to each of them in turn and pulled them back up.

"Now, the test. It's pretty simple. You have to hit me". The three Genin stared.

"Hit you? That's it?" Kiba asked. He looked up to Akamaru who had positioned himself on his head, who barked in agreement. Naruto nodded.

"Yep! Just land a single direct hit on me...woah easy there, Kiba!" Kiba was indeed in the middle of fishing out a kunai from the pouch strapped to his thigh.

"There are a few rules. First off, when I say so, all three of you will jump into the trees and hide yourselves as best as you're able. Then, I'll call out a name and that person will then try their best to hit me. Yeah, that means this is one on one. Team up together and this will prove to me that you can't follow orders, and I'll fail all three of you immediately. Also...since Sakura pissed me off, I'll add in this extra rule, so you'll have her to thank: if I am hit, only the person who landed the hit will pass. That means that today, at least two of you are going back to the Academy! Or worse!" Naruto grinned a bloodthirsty grin.

The Genin looked at each other, surprise on their faces. After a moment, they had the same thought and jumped away in different directions. Naruto nodded to himself.

'_Good. Let's see if any of them can figure it out, and hopefully, convince the others'._ He paced around the small field for a few minutes at random, then called out a name.

"Sakura!"

He caught a quickly stifled curse. He closed his eyes, feeling his chakra being invaded and warped.

_I'll give her credit for being able to cast it, but her jutsu is far too obvious. Even if it were to take effect, anyone would know they're under a Genjutsu and thus doubt their senses. _

He opened his eyes. Although all he could see was an empty field, he could feel someone creeping up on him. He waited, then twisted around and grabbed what looked to him like empty air. He heard a cry of surprise and the air shimmered, revealing Sakura with her fists clenched, his hands on her shoulders.

"Nice try. Go back into the trees".

After a few more minutes, he shouted "Kiba!". At once, he heard "Gatsuuga!" and what looked like a couple of tornadoes shooting through the air directly at him. Naruto waited until the last second, then jumped up, his hands outstretched. Near-invisible wire quickly twisted and tangled the boy and his dog, who came crashing down hard to the ground. Kiba swallowed a curse as he looked at his sensei.

"Not good enough, Kiba. Hang on, I'll release you and you can go hide again". Naruto did just that with a few quick swipes of a kunai, and turned his back, hearing the Inuzuka race off back into the trees.

Naruto sat down in the ground in a lotus position. He closed his eyes and controlled his breathing.

_Not good, not good. So far, no-one's thought this through. Hina-chan...I want you to pass...but...I can't risk letting her pass if she isn't up to it! Damn it!_

He growled for a moment and then shouted "Hinata!"

After a few minutes had passed with nothing happening, he opened his eyes and looked around. There was no-one there.

Suddenly, he felt his sense of danger kick in and barely dodged a Gentle Fist strike to his back. He jumped back about ten meters.

"Good work, Hinata! I didn't feel that invisibility genjutsu. Now, are you going to try again!" His eyes widened as Hinata ran at him, launching into a furious barrage of attacks. Naruto quickly schooled his expression into one of boredom, as he effortlessly dodged each strike by what seemed like the barest of margins. After a couple of minutes, he noticed Hinata was starting to slow down. He spotted his opportunity and quickly shot out with his leg, tripping her and causing her to fall to the ground. He palmed a kunai and was instantly pinning her to the ground, the kunai again at her throat.

"Good effort, but not good enough". He stood back up, holding out a hand to help her up. She took it, looking downcast.

"Kiba! Sakura! I want all three of you at the training posts!"

A few minutes later, the three Genin stood in front of their sensei, who had a hard expression on his face. He paced by them, looking at each in turn.

"What I saw out there just now...was pitiful. Sakura, your Genjutsu was far too obvious. Although I couldn't see you with my eyes, I knew I had been affected and was able to figure out where you were with my other senses.

Kiba, you just blew in to the field with no plan. You didn't bother checking if I had trapped the place, thus getting yourself tangled in my wires.

Hina-chan...I have to admit, you came the closest of the three of you, but it still wasn't good enough. I actually didn't feel your invisibility Genjutsu, which has me puzzled as to how Sakura got a higher score than you in the Academy. However, you saw my last spar with your dad, and he wasn't able to touch me, even though he's a lot faster and more precise". Naruto then stopped his pacing and put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm gonna give you guys one more chance. I'm going to walk away for fifteen minutes. You will then decide amongst yourselves who is going to be next. I will allow only one person to try again, so choose". With that, he jumped away.

Naruto didn't go too far. Instead, he stealthily climbed a tree and peered down. From here, he was able to observe what was happening. As he expected, Kiba and Sakura were arguing amongst themselves, both saying they needed to be the one to try again. Hinata tried to get a word in here and there, but failed.

_Looks like they don't get it. Sorry Hina-chan...I promised that I would be your sensei...hopefully another year at the Academy will teach you to look at things from a different perspective. _

He got ready to jump back down but stopped, as he heard Hinata let out a loud scream. This silenced the other two Genin immediately, who looked at her in complete surprise.

"Both of you...stop! I...I don't...I don't think this what we're supposed to be doing!"

Kiba and Sakura looked at each other.

"Umm...Hinata, what do you mean? Sensei said only one of us was allowed to try again", asked Sakura.

Hinata looked at the ground then looked Sakura in the eyes.

"Even if one of us passed, I don't think it would mean anything. That would mean one sensei and one student. When was the last time Konoha had a one Genin team?"

Sakura and Kiba again looked at each other.

"Ya know...you're right. So, what do ya mean?" asked Kiba.

"I think...I think that Naruto-sensei is testing us. We...we...we would never be able to him, we're Genin and he's a Jonin. So there must be something else going on".

Naruto nodded to himself.

_So close, Hina-chan. Now, let's see if you can get the other two to change their attitude._ He continued watching

"Why would Naruto-sensei pit us against each other? We're supposed to be a team, but instead we're fighting against each other".

At this, the other two did look embarrassed. It was clear neither of them had thought of this.

"Ya know...that does sound weird. I mean...think about it" Kiba began. "The Hokage puts the three of us on a team and the first thing our sensei says is that only one of us actually becomes a Genin? You're right Hinata, its bogus. So, what do you guys think he's trying to do?" he asked.

The two girls looked at the ground, lost in thought. Sakura perked back up.

"It must be a test of team-work. We're supposed to be a team, not fight each other". Hinata and Kiba both nodded their agreement.

At this, Naruto jumped down, a hard expression on his face.

The three Genin gulped, hoping against hope that they were right.

"Okay, I'm back. So, who is it going to be?" Sakura walked in front of the other two and looked at their sensei.

"All of us. We're a team, and you're a Jonin, so...it would take all three of us to even have a chance of hitting you!"

Sakura closed her eyes and prayed that he would accept this.

Naruto's eyes widened in anger.

"What's this? Are you disobeying my orders? I thought I said only one of you!"

At this, Akamaru started barking madly and Kiba flexed his claws.

"Yeah, she's right! Your orders were bull from the start. If you only wanted one Genin, why bother having all three of us? We're going to take you down, and teach you some respect!"

Naruto's frown deepened.

"So, do all of you agree with this? Sakura? Kiba? Hina-chan?" The three Genin looked at each other, and then nodded.

Naruto then grinned, exuberantly.

"You all pass! Took you guys long enough to figure out the _real _test". Sakura let out a sigh and whispered under breath "I knew it!" Naruto then started pacing.

"Hinata was right, there has never been a one Genin team in the history of Konoha. The reason being that it would waste a Jonin's time to be teaching only one student.

"Yes, this was a test of team-work. I needed to see if you could put aside your differences and act as one unit, not just think for yourselves. Out in the field, one of you might be captured by an enemy. A team-mate would risk life and limb to save that person, not just run away to save their own life.

"There was also another part to this test. You disobeyed my orders and said you would take me on together. I had to see if you could think for yourselves and not take orders like mindless zombies. Now don't get me wrong here, you're supposed to obey me, but if you feel you have a strong enough reason, then don't do it. Not only that, but you must be prepared to accept the consequences. If you do disobey, there will be punishments, even if you believe you're right".

With this, the three Genin breathed a collective sigh of relief. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Good work, team! It's now official, Squad 14 rocks! I'll give you the rest of the day off. Meet me in front of the Hokage Tower tomorrow at 8am sharp, for your first mission!" He jumped away again, this time leaving the clearing. He wanted to get back home, where he could brag to his dad about how awesome his team was.


	5. Chapter 4

_The tall white haired man sat down hard on a bench, just outside the ruins of a small house. The house's brickwork crumbled every so often, a sign of how damaged this town had become. The man sighed, partly in tiredness, partly in exasperation._

_He looked up, to see three young kids standing a short distance away, practising their handseals slowly. The two young boys had yet to make any significant progress in that area, but the blue-haired girl seemed to be more graceful and fluid in her seals. The man did catch several errors but on the whole, she had outstripped her companions._

'_Hmm. She's more dexterous with her hands. Must be the origami she's always practising.' _

_He mused for a while on the three youths. He had never really intended to teach them, but something in their eyes had caught his attention that day three weeks ago. There was a fire there, an unwillingness to back down. He had played with them for a while, pretending not to be interested, but eventually, he had grinned and said they were now his students._

_He glanced to his left, as he heard footsteps approaching at a high speed. He blinked in surprise, as about a dozen ANBU, in their signature grey armour and porcelain masks, landed, standing at attention. The white haired man stood up and walked to his charges, placing himself between them and the newcomers. Outwardly, he showed complete calm, not a sign of fear, but inward, he worried. He knew that, if he were alone, even this many ninja wouldn't pose a challenge to him, but, if they proved hostile, the fact that he would have to protect his wards would hamper his abilities. He wouldn't be able to go all out, for fear of collateral damage. Mentally, he cursed the fact that his two squad-mates had left only the previous day. With them by his side, he would have been one step short of invincible._

_The lead ANBU, a man wearing an Eagle mask, stepped aside smartly, allowing a shorter man to walk ahead. At this, the white haired man relaxed. He turned his head to the teenagers, who had stopped their training and were looking at the ninja in front of them with fear._

"_Don't worry, kids. They're friendly, from the Leaf village! In fact, come on up, I want to introduce you!" He grinned, as the kids looked from him to the ANBU and back. Eventually, they looked at each other and nodded, walking up to and beside their master._

_The short man in command of the ANBU was wearing black cloth armour, with white shoulder-pads and a single gauntlet along his left arm. He wore a helmet with his forehead protector affixed on top, with two long straps._

_The tall white man grinned at him._

"_Hey, sensei! What are you doing out here?" The short man raised then lowered his arm, the ANBU jumping away to create a defensive perimeter. _

"_Jiraiya, good to see you. I read your report...are these the children of whom you speak?"_

_Jiraiya laughed again, putting his hands on the shoulders of the two boys. The one with red hair looked up at his master, worry in his eyes._

"_Sensei, I'd like you to meet my students. The girl is Konan", she performed a perfect curtsy. _

"_The red head is named Nagato and this little guy is Yahiko. Kids, this old man here is Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, and also my former sensei"_

_At this, Sarutobi grumbled under his breath at being called old. He looked over the youths in turn, noting small details._

_The girl had what looked to be a flower in her hair, but one made of paper. The red head looked familiar. He glanced at Jiraiya, who nodded to him. The orange haired kid was the only one of the three to frowning. _

"_Pleased to meet you. I hope Jiraiya hasn't been too hard in your training?" asked Sarutobi, as a way of breaking the ice._

"_No sir" answered Konan. "He's a good teacher"_

_Jiraiya could feel the tension in the air. His students weren't yet comfortable with having strange ninja around them, so he waved them away and ordered them to continue practising their handseals. He sat back down on the bench, Sarutobi sitting next to him._

"_So...what's the Hokage doing here? Shouldn't you be back in the village, keeping an eye on the war?"_

_At this, the older man sighed._

"_I'm on an S-ranked mission to the front, one that requires my personal attention. Homura and Mitokado will do well enough running the village while I'm gone"._

_At this, Jiraiya closed his eyes and thought. An S-ranked mission, one that the Third Hokage felt he needed to do? He'd have to contact his spy network, as he hadn't heard anything about this recently._

"_My agents haven't been reporting to me then. Its not too often that a Kage performs a mission, and I should have heard about this long before you arrived"_

_Sarutobi took out his pipe, lit it and put it to his lips. He blew a small stream of smoke from it._

"_Its nothing secret. I'm taking command of the Daimyo's armies at the front. Now, I know you're thinking, but what about Tsunade, Orochimaru or Sakumo Hatake? They're all busy in other areas. No, I mean to take command and bring a swift end to this war"_

_Jiraiya nodded. He hadn't been around for the First Shinobi War, but already, this Second War had claimed thousands of lives. _

"_I also came here, Jiraiya, to check up on these students of yours. I was startled, to say the least, when I read your report. Wasn't it just a few months ago that you swore to me you would never take an apprentice? Yet here you are, with three no less". _

_Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. _

"_These kids are...special. I don't know if it was a sign from above, but they were the only survivors in the area from the last battle. Tsunade, Orochimaru and I went all out against that Rain ninja, Hanzo. There were a lot of innocent deaths..."_

_Sarutobi continued to suck on his pipe. He knew what Jiraiya was feeling. He had done much the same thing in the last war. To this day, it was one of the areas where he felt he had failed, to prevent needless death._

"_That Hanzo guy was tough, to say the least. I figured he wouldn't have been a challenge for you, sensei, but us three had to be at our top form. But, in the end, we won and killed him. But only after more or less destroying this town. Afterwards, while we were resting, these three kids came up to our camp-fire. They were hungry. Tsunade immediately fed them, she just can't say no to kids"._

"_So you agreed to train them, just like that?" asked Sarutobi. _

"_Not at first. What changed my mind was Nagato. Yes, he is an Uzumaki, I recognized his hair". _

_Sarutobi nodded. "He could pass as a nephew of Mito Uzumaki. Has he said how he ended up in Rain Country, of all places?"_

_Jiraiya frowned. "No, he hasn't. He says he's lived here for as long as he can remember. I was planning on bringing the three of them to_ _Uzushiogakure in a couple of weeks, once I'm certain that they can defend themselves"._

_Sarutobi stood up. He looked at the kids for a long moment, then turned back to Jiraiya._

"_That is why I'm here Jiraiya. I wanted to confirm one thing. Your report said that Nagato had strange eyes"._

"_Yeah. A ripple-like pattern over the eyeballs, with a light purple iris and sclera. Tsunade had a look at him, said she'd never seen anything like it before"._

_Sarutobi sighed._

"_I have, or rather, I've heard of it. Hashirama-sensei taught me the history of the ninja world. Tell me Jiraiya...have you heard of the Rinnegan?" _

_Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You can't be serious? The...Rinnegan? But, only person has had that in all of history!"_

_Sarutobi put his pipe away. _

"_Yes, the Sage of the Six Paths. Apart from myself, the only person to be called the God of Shinobi. Once I read your report, I had a discussion with Homura and Mitokado. We all agreed that you be brought back from the front. The Leaf village would benefit greatly from having the Rinnegan"._

_Jiraiya blinked in surprise. "Brought back from the front? __Why? I'm not saying I'm against the kids being in Konoha, they'd be a lot safer there than here, but I can still do a lot more in this war"._

"_Jiraiya, the war is almost over. That mission I'm on is to take command of the Daimyo's armies and, with one last battle, end this conflict. I am proud of what you and your team-mates have accomplished, but your role in the war is finished. I want you to take these kids back to Konoha, and become their official Jonin-sensei". _

_Jiraiya thought to himself for a few minutes. Him? A sensei? He didn't believe himself capable of it...but he had been teaching the kids for a few weeks now. They had responded well to his instructions and had already surpassed those in the Leaf Ninja Academy, he reckoned. _

"_Are you sure, old man? Putting someone of my talents on the backburner for a while?"_

_Sarutobi nodded. _

"_It would do well for many reasons. First, its about time you had students. Those talents of yours deserve to be passed down to the next generation. Second, you needed a purpose. Apart from the war, all you've been doing is wandering around, not really doing anything of note, except for running the Leaf's spy network. Third, public relations. You've been a prominent figure in this war, and it will cement the Leaf's willingness to pursue peace if you were to take students. Finally...it would give you time to continue that book series of yours, Icha Icha. It's been too long since your last release"._

_Jiraiya chuckled. "I guess it has. I've been too busy for my research. Well, orders are orders. I'll do it. Good luck, sensei. Are you sure you don't want me with you? I can __have the kids protected by the ANBU while I go with you"._

_Sarutobi shook his head. He clicked his fingers twice and his ANBU escort jumped in around him._

"_No, Jiraiya. I'll be all-right. Just take the kids to Konoha" With this, he jumped away, his escort with him._

_A few moments after this, the kids walked up to their master. Konan spoke up._

"_Umm...sensei? Is everything all right? They're gone, right?"_

_Jiraiya smiled. He had to re-assure the kids._

"_Don't worry, they're gone. My sensei...and those were ANBU, his bodyguards. They've left to end this war. The old man and I talked about you three. Tell me guys...how do you feel about moving?"_

_The kids looked at each other, surprised. Nagato answered for them._

"_Away from our home? But, where would we go? This is all we've known?" He looked ready to cry, but he stopped in time at a harsh look from Yahiko. _

"_We'll be going back to my village, the Leaf village. There, you'll be safe and well taken care of. In fact...the Hokage could see that you guys are so awesome that he wants you to be Leaf ninja. Guess who'll be teaching you!" He laughed out loud as the three jumped on top of him and started hugging him._

'_Ah screw it. I'll be a sensei from now on. Just the thought of their eager faces waiting to learn from me...plus, it helps that I've finally beaten Orochimaru. He hasn't taken on a student yet!_


End file.
